Professional Practice Costa Rica – John Ortiz Vargas

Internship Costa Rica in audiovisual production – testimonial

 

1. What was your experience?

At Cucumelo Films I had the experience of working as an assistant editor and camera assistant on a large number of commercial productions. Working as an intern gave me the opportunity to get to know many places in my country that I had no idea about, and made me appreciate much more the cinematographic and creative value of Costa Rica, its places and its people.

2. What did you learn?

On the one hand, my technical knowledge increased exponentially. I learned more in depth the use of video editing software and very important details about camera and photography. On the other hand, I gained a lot of experience working in a team with my co-workers and my bosses, and my teamwork skills increased a lot. I also learned how to interact with different clients, both on and off set.

Another important lesson I learned was how to apply for funding and/or grants to make a film production: how to come up with a proposal, how to structure it, what kind of language to use, among other details.

3. How did you feel?

The shooting days were very exciting experiences, and they are the experiences I remember best. The editing days were quiet experiences but they left me with a lot of knowledge and made me appreciate the time and work that my supervisors put into me.

Overall it was an experience that made me feel very comfortable and very much at home. Being able to share with my supervisors and coworkers were very cool moments that make me miss the work environment there.

4. What was the most valuable thing you learned?

I realized something very important during my time at Cucumelo, and it is something I still work on every day. During my internship here, I came to recognize that my anxiety prevented me from relating to people and communicating properly with them. I learned that technical knowledge is not everything, and that communication is key not only to doing a good job, but also to establishing good personal and working relationships with my coworkers.

Since this internship, I have lost a lot of fear. I have gained a lot of self-confidence, and I can say with complete certainty that thanks to this experience I am a more assertive person, more courageous and more willing to take initiatives. My experiences in my senior year prove it; I have been getting very involved with student activism at my university in Ohio, and the lessons I learned at Cucumelo have been part of the basis for my confidence and dedication.

 

If you would like to be part of our team, please write to us at the following e-mail address pasantias@cucumelofilms.com